Wringer



Dec. 23, 1958 Filed June 19, 1956 N. L. ETTEN WRINGER FIG. 5

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR NlCHOLA6 LJETTEN Dec. 23, 1958 Filed June 19,1956 N. L. ETTEN WRINGER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

ATTORNEYS Dec. 23, 1958 Filed June 19, 1956 N. L. ETTEN WRINGER FIG. 4

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR mcHoLAe l..-e'r'reu ATTO R N EY5 United StatesPatent WRINGER Nicholas L. Etten, Waterloo, Iowa, assignor toChamberlain Corporation, Waterloo, Iowa, a corporation of IowaApplication June 19, 1956, Serial No. 592,390

2 Claims. (Cl. 68-263) This invention relates to a wringer and moreparticularly to a clothes wringer of the type in which articles ofclothing or the like are passed between a pair of rolls to extract watertherefrom.

It is an object of this invention to provide a compact, readily andeconomically manufacturable wringer in which pressure between thewringer rolls is easily re leased and in which the rolls are readilyaccessible for removal of tangled clothes.

A feature of this invention is in the release of pressure between thewringer rolls by depressing push buttons located so as to beconveniently actuatable and so as to not interfere with access to thewringer rolls.

A further feature is in an advantageous construction of the pressurerelease mechanism.

This invention contemplates other objects, features and advantages whichwill become more fully apparent from the following detailed descriptiontaken in conjunction Figure 4 is a top plan view of the wringer withportions of the housing structure broken away;

Figure 5 is an elevational sectional view taken substantially along line5 5 of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a detailed view of portions of the latch release mechanismof the wringer.

Reference numeral 10 generally designates a wringer constructedaccording to the principles of this invention in which articles ofclothing or the like are passed between a lower roll 11 and an upperroll 12 on vertically spaced parallel horizontal axes.

The rolls 11 and 12 are normally urged together with considerablepressure which may be released by depressing either one of a pair ofpush buttons 13 at one end of the wringer or either one of the pair ofpush buttons 14 at the opposite end of the wringer. To reset the rolls11 and 12 into pressure engagement, a handle element 15 is swungoutwardly in a counter-clockwise direction and is then moved downwardlyafter which it may be released to allow a spring means to return it tothe position illustrated in Figure 1.

The handle element 15 forms a part of the outer housing for the wringerwhich housing also includes a pair of side plates 16 and 17 and a topplate member 18 arranged to swing upwardly in a clockwise direction whenthe pressure is released between the wringer rolls.

The wringer is preferably arranged to be mounted the rubber. The leftand right hand ends of the lower roll shaft 21 are supported on bearingblocks 23 and 24 which are preferably of hardwood supported on pins 25and 26. The pin 25 is supported from a bracket 27 through springs in amanner as will be described and the pin 26 is rigidly afiixed to abracket 28. The brackets 27 and 28 form part of the wringer frame whichalso includes bars 29 and 30 extending along the sides of the wringer.

The ends of the upper roll shaft 22 are journaled in bearings 31 and 32and maintained in assembly therewith by pins 33 and 34, washers 35 and36 being disposed between the pins 33 and 34 and the bearings 31 and 32.

The bearing 31 is pivotally supported on a pin 37 which is carried onthe end of an arm 38 pivoted on a shaft 39 fixedly carried fromthewringer frame. The bearing 32 is pivotally supported on a pin 40which is carried on an arm 41 pivoted on a shaft 42, the shaft 42 beingsupported through springs on the bracket 28 as will be described.

A reset mechanism to be described is provided for holding the arm 38 inthe position of Figure 2 to exert pressure between the rolls. When thereset mechanism is released, the arm 38 is free to move in acounter-clockwise direction and the arm 41 can move in a clockwisedirection to allow separation of the rolls. To reset pressure betweenthe rolls, the arm 38 is moved in a clockwise direction until the upperroll 12 just engages the lower roll 11. The arm 41 will then be in aposition such that a line in a vertical plane through the roll axes andextending from the axis of the pin 42 to the axis of the pin 40 is at anacute angle to a line in such vertical plane extending downwardly fromthe axis of the pin 42 toward and normal to the axis of the lower roll11. In the same position of the upper roll, the arm 38 is in a positionsuch that a line in the same vertical plane extending from the axis ofthe pin 39 to the axis or" the pin 37 will be at an obtuse angle to aline in the same vertical plane extending from the axis of the pin 39downwardly toward and normal to the axis of the lower roll 11.

With this relationship, rotation of the arm 38 through a comparativelysmall angle in a clockwise direction to the position of Figure 1 willmove the left-hand end of the upper roll 12 downwardly into pressureengagement with the lower roll 11, but the upper roll also moves to someextent to the right and such movement of the upper roll will cause theright-hand end thereof to move downwardly into pressure engagement withthe lower roll, due to the position of the arm 41.

The reset mechanism for actuating the arm 38 comprises an arm 43 pivotedon a shaft 44 which is fixedly carried by the wringer frame. The arm 43is connected to the arm 38 through a link 45 pivotally connected by apin 46 to an intermediate point of the arm 38 and pivotally connected bya pin 47 to the arm 43. Movement of the arm 43 in a counter-clockwisedirection will move the link 45 downwardly to move the arm 38 in aclockwise direction.

The arm 43 is actuated by actuation of the handle element 15. For thispurpose, the handle element 1.5 is pivoted on a pin 48 carried by alever 49 which is pivoted on a pin 50 carried by the wringer frame. Whenthe handle element 15 is rotated to a certain extent in acounter-clockwise direction, the lower edge 51 thereof engages a flangeportion 52 of the lever 49 so that with further counterclockwiserotation of the handle element 15, the lever 52 will be rotated in acounter-clockwise direction. One end of a link 53 is pivotally connectedto the lever 49 by the pin 48, and the other end thereof is pivotallyconnected to the lever 43 by a pin 54 so that counter-clockwise rotationof the lever 49 will effect counter-clockwise rotation of the lever arm43.

A spring 55 is connected between the handle element and the pin 54 tomove the handle element 15 to the illustrated position after thepressure reset mechanism is actuated.

The reset mechanism is releasably locked in the illustrated position. Inparticular, the lever '49 has an upstanding projection 56 engaged by apin 57' on a latch arm 58 pivoted on a pin 59. The latch arm 58 is urgedin a counter-clockwise direction by a coiled compression spring 60 on aguide pin 61, but is movable in a clockwise direction by a cam edge 62on the projection 56 which engages the pin 57 when the lever 49 is movedinto the illustrated position.

To release the reset mechanism, the latch arm 58 is moved in a clockwisedirection to move the pin'57 out of the path of the projection 56. Forthis purpose, a pair of levers 63 and 64 are pivoted on a pin 65 andhave out-turned projections 66 and 67 at their lower ends which underliea transversely extending portion of the latch arm 58, so that the latcharm 58 will be-actuated by a clockwise rotation of the lever 63, orcounterclockwise rotation of the lever 64, as viewed in Figure 6. Theupper end of the lever 63 is connected through a link 68 to one leg 69of a generally U-shaped bar 70 having the second leg 71 and a horizontalbight portion 72 journaled by the wringer frame for pivotal movement ofthe legs 69 and 71 about an axis parallel to the roll axes. The upperend of the lever 64 is similarily connected through a link 73 to one leg74 of a generally U-shaped bar 75 having a second leg 76 and a bightportion 77 journaled by the wringer frame. The upper ends of the legs 69and 74 are engaged by inwardly projecting portions of the buttons 13,and the upper ends of the legs 71 and 76 are engaged by a similarprojection of the buttons 14 so that upon de pression of any one of thebuttons, the reset mechanism will be released to release the pressurebetween the wringer rolls. It will. be noted that the buttons 13 and 14are pivotally attached adjacent their upper ends to the wringer frame.

It may also be noted that each of the links 68 and 73 extends from theassociated one of the levers or legs 69, 74 beyond the vertical planethrough the roll axes to the upper end one of the respective one of thelevers 63, 64. With this arrangement, a maximum leverage is obtainedbetween movement of the legs 69, 74 and the levers 63, 64 and at thesame time, the vertical extent of the mechanism is minimized so that itdoes not interfere with the reset mechanism or the support of the upperroll.

As previously indicated, the support pin 25 for the bearing block 23 isresiliently supported from the wringer frame. lower ends of the legs ofa pair of inverted U-shaped members 79 and 80 which are supportedthrough bolts 81 and 82 from U-shaped members 83 and 84 carried by thepin 44. Coiled compression springs 85 and 86 are disposed on the shanksof the bolts 83 and 84 to urge the members 79 and 80 upwardly againstthe members 83 and 84. When the reset mechanism is moved to theillustrated position, the left-hand end of the lower roll is moveddownwardly to pull the members 79 and 80 downwardly away from themembers 83 and 84, so that the springs 85 and 86 serve to exert pressurebetween the rolls.

As also indicated above, the support pin 42 for the right-hand end ofthe upper roll is resiliently supported from the wringer frame. Thissupport is not illustrated in detail because it is, by itself, known inthe prior art. One form of support is illustrated in my co-pendingapplication entitled Wringer, U. S. Serial No. 332,841, filed January23, 1953, now Patent No. 2,770,963, issued November 20, 1956.

In particular, the pin 25 extends through the Means are provided forpreventing drive of the wringer when pressure between the rolls isreleased. As shown in Figure 4, a rod 87 is supported along one side ofthe wringer for movement about its axis. The right-hand end of the rod87 is connected to the drive coupling mechanism and the left-hand end ofthe rod 87 is bent upwardly and inwardly to extend over an in-turnedprojection 88 of the link 53 (Figure 2). When the pressure is releasedbetween the wringer rolls, the link 53 will move upwardly to engage andactuate the rod 87 and the drive coupling mechanism is disengaged toprevent the drive of the wringer rolls.

This invention thus provides a wringer in which pressure between therolls is readily released by actuation of the conveniently located pushbuttons 13 and 14. Because of the location of the buttons 13 and 14 atthe opposite ends of the wringer, and because of the support arrangementfor the upper roll, the upper roll is completely accessible, which isparticularly important when it is desired to remove tangled clothes fromthe wringer. The releasable latch mechanism is such that itcan bereadily and economically constructed from a minimum number of componentparts and is simple and reliable in operation.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effectedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts ofthis invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a wringer, a frame, a bottom roll journaled for rotation in saidframe, a top roll, movable support means journalling said top roll, areset mechanism inter-connecting said support means and said frame formovement of said top roll into a position in parallel inter-engagedrelation with said bottom roll, and latch means comprising a latchmember pivotal about a horizontal axis transverse to the roll axes,means urging said latch member to a latching position, a first pair oflevers pivotal on a common horizontal axis in vertical alignment withthe roll axes, a second pair of levers journaled on horizontal axesparallel to and on opposite sides of the lower roll, a pair of linksrespectively connecting said second pair of levers with the upper endsof said first pair of levers, and means on the lower ends of said firstpair of levers for moving said latch member out of said latchingposition on actuation of either one of said second pair of levers.

2. In a wringer, a frame, a bottom roll journaled for rotation in saidframe, a top roll, movable support means journalling said top roll, areset mechanism inter-connecting said support means and said frame formovement of said top roll into a position in parallel inter-engagedrelation with said bottom roll, and latch means comprising a'latchmember pivotal about a horizontal axis transverse to the roll axes,means urging said latch member to a latching position, a first pair oflevers pivotal on a common horizontal axis in vertical alignment withthe roll axes, a second pair of levers journaled on horizontal axesparallel to and on opposite sides of the lower roll, a pair of linksrespectively connected to said second pair of levers and connected tothe upper ends of said first pair of levers at points beyond the planeof the roll axes, and means on the lower ends of said first pair oflevers for moving said latch member out of said latching position onactuation of either one of said second pair of levers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,202,778 Kauffman May 28, 1940 2,326,259 Schroeder Aug. 10, 19432,598,773 Etten June 3, 1952 2,726,530 Fairgrieve Dec. 13, 1955

